'American Idol 7' - Hooray for Hollywood

Photo courtesy americanidol.comJosiah Leming had a shaky second audition, but made it through to the top 50 on Tuesday's 'American Idol' broadcast.

After four weeks of audition shows, Tuesday's American Idol focused on the week-long audition in Hollywood where 164 golden ticket holders took one step closer to the top 24. Two hours really isn't enough to get a good idea of all that went into this segment of the competition, but that's all we're getting this time around.

Idol has made some major changes in this round this year. Gone are the ever-popular group numbers that have flummoxed even the best contestants in years past. No arguing among the groups or people slacking off on rehearsals... none of that. Instead, the kids performed for the judges on the first day and were allowed to use instruments if they chose to do so. The judges had the option of giving passes through to Thursday to whomever they wanted. Those who were not up to par had to perform again, and some were cut in what Ryan dramatically chose to call "brutal" eliminations.

On the fourth day, all those who had survived along with those with free passes performed with a band and backup singers, and were either passed on to the top 50 or cut right then and there. No more drama of the "rooms" where contestants were forced to wait for the judges to come in and announce their fates. The entire process was handled much like the actual televised competition minus viewer voting.

Doing any kind of reviews of the performances would be meaningless at this point. But there were some standouts. For me, the best of the night might have been David Archuleta. He has a beautiful voice and exudes confidence and charm. I liked him a lot and didn't expect to. I also liked "Rocker Nurse" Amanada Overmyer. She's different, and in a sea of blond country Carrie clones, she definitely stood out.

I was not wildly impressed by either Carly Hennessy Smithson or Michael Lee Johns who the judges fawned all over as though they were the second coming of Chris Daughtry. Neither had very strong first auditions, but were passed right through to the fourth day without question. Both made the final cut, of course, and will certainly be in the top 24. Will the viewers love them as much as the judges do?

As for Josiah Leming (Car Boy), the underdog for whom I'm rooting, he had a great first audition, but blew it when he dismissed the band and tried to sing a cappella. Josiah is getting a huge buildup with lots of camera time. Will Josiah's hopes be dashed or will he advance to the top 24? We'll find out on Wednesday, as the top 24 is officially revealed. In addition, I am working on a backgrounder on some of the more prominent semi-finalists. Their stories just might surprise you.